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Why Flutter Is the Go-To Choice for Enterprise Mobile App Development
From creating a new marketing channel to streamlining the entire supply chain, for almost every business operation, there is an enterprise application. Almost all companies nowadays are looking to create an enterprise-grade application because it offers a wide range of benefits like improving efficiency, productivity, customer services, and more.
But you would need the right tools to build a suitable solution. Amidst all the technologies available in the market, experts prefer to use Flutter for enterprise mobile app development. Why? you ask. Well, because of the following reasons:
1. Single codebase
While building a mobile app, the most common question that a developer needs to address is which device are you making it for? Apple or Android?
In the past, if you wanted to build an app for both, you had to write two different codebases. But now you can just use Flutter. It simplifies things for you. You can write just one codebase with Flutter and your app can function on various OSs and devices.
Your mobile app will run seamlessly on any operating system you want, may it be iOS or Android. You can also be innovative with app development. In addition to that, not having to write multiple codebases, saves you a lot of time.
2. Reduced time to market
Time is money. The longer your development process lasts, the more costly it gets. Sometimes it is important to launch the product at the right time when its demand is there and its features and functionalities are trending among the users. If you are delayed to launch, you are denied success.
We already saw how Flutter reduces development time as developers just have to code once and then can use it everywhere. On top of that, Flutter offers a feature called hot reload. Any changes made in the code will go live immediately and developers can see the results in real time.
With Flutter, you no longer have to recompile your code after every single change you make in the codebase. It helps them launch the app fastest to market. Do not forget that when you are the fastest to market, you get a first-mover advantage.
3. Strengthened security
Flutter is completely safe to use. It crosses out all the security concerns and is hence preferred by enterprises for managing their sensitive business information. Some of the security measures that Flutter helps with are given below:
User authentication - Flutter takes a multitier and multifactor approach to user authentication. The best-in-class protocols are used to test the security plugins that come with Flutter. So, you know they can be trusted.
Data breach - After a user session has expired, Flutter clears out the cache. It is very helpful to avert possible data breaches. The framework also allows the developers to utilize app-level encryption.
Code injection - Cross-platform mobile apps are vulnerable to malicious code injections. They are injected through plugins that are less secure and can destroy or steal sensitive information immediately. It can also make your app non-functional. Flutter prepares you to avoid the troubles of code injection.
Network data loss - Flutter comes with Dart:io library which developers can leverage to secure their HTTPS connection. It is accomplished with httpClient class and TLS certificate pinning.
4. Elegant UI Designs
Flutter houses a vast collection of themes that mobile app developers can use to create engaging and user-friendly user interfaces. Various themes are available for both Android and iOS platforms. You can use them to build apps dedicated to specific industries like healthcare, education, eCommerce, social media, finance, and entertainment.
Flare is a full-fledged 2D vector animation library from Flutter that allows you to add animations to your mobile application. You are also rendered with different views, image caching, timelines, page transitions, app responsiveness, and infinite scrolling to make your UI designs more robust.
5. Dart
Google created Dart as a modern programming language. It is easy to pick up for beginners as it supports both weak and strong typing styles. What’s more? Dart is object-oriented and its syntax is similar to that of C++ and Java.
Dart is considered an ideal option for building custom mobile applications as it is general-purpose, open-source, and easy to understand. More importantly, its reactive framework helps developers with frontend as well as backend development.
Dart improves efficiency, which is why developers favor it. You can even compile Dart directly in the native code. For communicating with native widgets, Flutter doesn't need a JavaScript bridge. It makes tasks like code debugging more simpler and cost-effective.
6. Library of customizable widgets
Flutter offers layout features, rich libraries, and customizable widgets for building enterprise mobile apps. In addition to that, developers can create their own widgets with Flutter’s UI to fulfill the unique business requirements of their clients.
For Apple, the widgets of Flutter follow the Cupertino look and for Android, they follow the specifications of Material Design. This helps developers write that “one-size-fits-all” kind of code. One might think it to be complicated. But it is easy and takes less time.
The fact that you can completely customize every single aspect of your app, even the complex UI elements is what attracts most developers to use it.
7. Efficiency through a layered architecture
Enterprise-grade applications are gigantic. If not built properly, such apps can be a mess. Implementing layered architecture can ensure better functionality of the application and productivity of the developers.
When layers intercede, developers must understand the features of the application. All the team members need to work in coordination to find better ways to access documented design patterns.
Flutter renders a simple and secure network for accessing local storage, SQLite databases, web resources, and hardware using library plugins. Other advantages of Flutter include:
If you are working on large chunks of structured data then Flutter offers SQLite for it.
Easy state management
Local storage is limited
Code independency
For push notifications, deep linking is provided
If there are any asynchronous programming requirements then RxDart can help fulfill it.
JSON Serialization and Deserialization
8. Development environment
Flutter is a cross-platform solution that can be used with a variety of IDEs like Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ, Android Studio, and more. These IDEs support pretty much all kinds of devices. So, a user will have an experience similar to using a native app while using the enterprise-grade mobile app.
In addition to that, Flutter offers a wide range of libraries that can simplify the app development process.
Better Scalability: The Dart from Flutter enables you to scale your app without any difficulty. You just have to import the Dart packages that can refactor the apps for their seamless transition to other platforms like the cloud.
Testability: The widgets in Flutter support all the essential tests like unit tests, integration tests, and widget tests.
CI/CD Support: Flutter comes with enterprise CI/CD and native tools that allow you to launch mobile applications in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
9. A great deal of community support
From the very start, we are talking about how Flutter is popular among developers. We also discussed many of its reasons as well. But the biggest one is its ability to create cross-platform, high-performing, mobile applications.
The popularity is further fueled because the framework is open-source. So, the community keeps growing day and night. Expert Flutter developers are eager and passionate about helping fellow community members solve issues and develop innovative app solutions.
Final words
When using a framework that offers you such a wide range of benefits, then who wouldn't consider Flutter as their go-to choice for enterprise mobile app development?
In the modern age, developers have to have advanced tools in their arsenal. Tools that can act like a Swiss knife, i.e. be helpful at multiple fronts of a development process.
The developer is known through the quality of their work and their work is carved out of their tools. So, it would be smart to have advanced frameworks like Flutter working for them, especially in important tasks such as enterprise app development.
To sum it up, Flutter offers many benefits for developers and businesses, making it a great choice for mobile app development. It has features like hot reload, a single codebase, beautiful user interfaces, access to native functions, and strong performance, and it's cost-effective. This makes Flutter stand out as a top choice in the world of app development.